Burglars Raid Oakland Museum, Steal Over 1,000 Artifacts
In a shocking incident, over 1,000 artifacts were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California’s storage facility during a pre-dawn burglary that went unnoticed until the next day, authorities reported.
According to the Oakland Police Department, the break-in happened shortly before 3:30 a.m. on October 15. The thieves made off with a variety of items, including Native American baskets, jewelry, historic artifacts, and even laptops from the museum’s collection. The police are now collaborating with the FBI’s Art Crime Team to investigate the case.
Lori Fogarty, the Executive Director and CEO of the Oakland Museum of California, expressed her dismay, stating, “The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state’s cultural heritage. Most of these objects have been given to the Museum by generous donors. We are working in close partnership with the City of Oakland, the Oakland Police Department, and the FBI to see that these objects are returned.”
Fogarty mentioned that the break-in was discovered by museum staff the following morning. Despite the building being equipped with surveillance and alarm systems, no employees were present at the time of the theft.
She noted, “We think that this was more of a crime of opportunity than a strategic strike.” The stolen items were reportedly small, primarily comprising historical articles and pieces of art.
The city of Oakland, which owns the museum’s extensive collection of over two million artifacts, is involved in the matter. Fogarty also indicated that there was a two-week delay in publicizing the incident to maintain the investigation’s integrity. Museum staff are currently in touch with insurance providers to assess the value of the stolen items while also considering enhanced security measures.
This isn’t the first time the museum has faced such challenges; there were similar burglaries in 2012 and early 2013. In those instances, a suspect named Andre Taray Franklin was identified. He later sold an $800,000 jewelry box from the museum’s collection and was sentenced to four years in prison in 2014.
